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Thursday, June 30, 2011

For April Sullivan-LaMonica, the last ten years have been hell: her husband and young son were killed in a car accident, and soon after, her mom descended into the darkness of Alzheimer's. So when broadcast journalist Maggie Prescott shows up claiming to be April's half sister and tries to capture their reunion on film, April outwardly regards Maggie with much suspicion. In reality, she's simply afraid to grow close to someone again, only to have that person leave--or worse.

Maggie, meanwhile, is battling her own demons: figuring out why her biological mother gave her up, facing a secret she's kept from the one man she's loved all her life, and giving herself permission to follow the dream she's had since she was a child.

Separated by nearly two decades and radically different life paths, April and Maggie must decide if pursuing their sisterhood is worth it…or even possible.

A story of loss, love, survival, and redemption, Forgotten April will speak to anyone who's experienced the pains--and riches--of an unexpected friendship that emerges from family ties.

Author Info: Robyn Bradley is a Novelist Ninja and Short Story Seductress. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University and won a short story award in 2007. Her work has appeared in FictionWeekly.com, Metal Scratches, The Breakwater Review, Writer's Digest, and The MetroWest Daily News, among other places. When she's not writing or sleeping, Robyn enjoys watching Law & Order marathons, drinking margaritas, and determining how many degrees really separate her from George Clooney.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Hidden is a paranormal romance that spans the centuries from modern London to 19th century Paris and ancient Cappadocia.

Sixteen-year-old Madison Greene is in foster care until one day she inherits a fortune, she inherits a house, she inherits a cellar full of danger.

Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. On an archaeological expedition, he discovers a lost underground city where his life changes forever.

For each of them, life is finally starting. Little do they know it is closer to ending. Something lies buried which should have been forgotten. A Pandora’s Box that was meant to stay shut. But Madison and Alexandre have never been any good at following the rules. They are about to find everything they’ve ever desired and everything that could destroy them.

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before children, she was signed to Universal Music as a singer songwriter and spent her days and nights writing, recording, touring and performing.

Now, writing novels has hijacked her life and she is usually to be found with a laptop welded to her fingers and the house in a permanent state of neglect.

'Hidden' the first book in the Marchwood Vampire series, was published in March 2011. 'Outside', a post-apocalyptic road-trip romance will be published in July 2011. 'Thicker Than Blood', the 2nd book in the Marchwood Vampires Series will be out later this year.
You can find her in the following places:

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans.

In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves.

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known.

An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?

Author Info: Julia Crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she's spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

I know I've sort of been out of the loop for awhile. I had foot surgery last week and it's really wiped like a week off the calendar for me. I finally got rid of the painkillers, and while the foot is still extra-ouchy, I'm mentally back in action and can focus on things for more than 5 minutes. It's great!

Things have been kind of crazy lately in the publishing world. The Queen herself, J.K. Rowling, announced last week that she will be retailing the Harry Potter ebooks on her very own site, Pottermore.com. Smart girl, keeping those erights! Now while I don't think my sales will jump through the roof just because Jo is epublishing her own books, it's nice to know she's joining us, as it were. It's great to see traditionally pubbed authors play both fields, because I really think it's to their advantage.

Also, some lit agencies, like Dystel & Goderich, are taking on epublishing by becoming epublishers themselves. Maybe not the best for us indies that are already doing everything ourselves, but gives the trad pubbed authors more options and more royalties than they might get otherwise. I'll be interested to see how that new idea continues to develop.

As for me and DarkSide, we're moving along. A few of the girls are in edits with upcoming releases now, so look for some great new books coming before summer is over. I'm currently reading Loramendi's Story for Angela Carlie, and I gotta say, I think you Twi-hards out there will likey...it's steamy! After I finish Angela's story, it'll be back to The Green to finish my revisions before sending it out to my fellow DarkSiders for reading.

And then, I'll get back to writing. On deck...sequel to Into the Shadows. I could use some help with a title for that one. It's just not coming to me. Hopefully I can also give some sneak-peeks at it as well as I write it. Maybe I'll throw out some samples of The Green as well after the girls have a look.

Monday, June 27, 2011

The twin brothers Emyr and Idrys are cursed to live as hounds; Emyr by night, and Idrys by day. The twins believe they will be trapped this way forever until they meet the fierce and curious Áine, a changeling woman born with fey blood and gifts struggling to fit into a suspicious human world.
Áine unravels the fate of Emyr and his twin as all three of them fall in love. To free her lovers from the curse, she embarks on a journey to the realm of the fey where she confronts her own unique gifts and heritage. Ultimately, she must decide where her heart truly lies and what she’s willing to risk to get what she desires most.

Author Info
Annie Bellet is a full-time speculative fiction writer. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh. Her short fiction has appeared in magazines such as AlienSkin, Contrary, and Daily Science Fiction.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Janna Sorelle is a determined young professional born and raised in Moscow, Russia, but, having French background, she considers herself French and strives to return to her “historical homeland”. Her first visit to Paris, where she goes as a translator of a rich but ill-mannered Russian businessman, turns into something totally unexpected. After a strange incident at a small restaurant, Janna is kidnapped - and this is just the beginning of an adventure she couldn’t have ever imagined. As the story unfolds, Janna finds herself working for Technotics, a huge international corporation with an advanced security system owned by the mysterious Mr. Kumidi. Janna is told that Technotics is an engineering company working on some technical research, but, as she begins to suspect, things are not that simple. There is a secret laboratory in what they call the lower level of the company building, and some of the employees seem to be not exactly human…

Author Info: Laura Lond is an internationally published author of several novels and a collection of short stories. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. Having worked for 2 years at a literary museum, Laura entered the world of business, working for large international corporations like Xerox Ltd. After moving from Europe to the United States, she has been self-employed as a freelancer.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

In 1707, hapless vampire Jack Bentley made a pact with the Devil in order to escape a vampire hunt. Dealing with Satan seemed better than your standard angry mob at the time. But three centuries later, Satan is ready to collect His dues, whether the vampire likes it or not. He's taking Jack to Hell, and He's even got a job picked out for him down below: an eternal position at the Registration Office of the Damned.

Jack attempts to adjust to life on the Administrative Level of Hell, where fire and brimstone have been replaced by board meetings and the occasional broken copier. But the whiny complaints of the recently deceased and the legions of suited, cookie-cutter demons are the least of his problems. Try adding to the equation a dead ex-lover, a dangerous attraction to his high-ranking demon companion, Alexander Ridner, and the sticky and distorted anti-vampire politics of a Hell that is surprisingly like our own world.

Author Info:
Jennifer Rainey was raised by wolves who later sold her to gypsies. She then joined the circus at the age of ten. There, she was the flower girl in the famed Bearded Bride of Beverly Hills show until the act was discontinued (it was discovered that the bearded lady was actually a man). From there, she wandered around the country selling novelty trucker hats with vaguely amusing sayings printed on front. Somehow, she made enough money to go to The Ohio State University for a major in English.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Zeke Jackson's sister has gone missing in the jungles of Southeast Asia. His search for her takes him from the red light districts of Vietnam to the mean streets of New York.

Finally he finds the help he needs in the back alleys of one of South Africa's most notorious shanty towns. The DreamWeaver. But the things Zeke will have to do, and the price he'll have to pay to get Jane back are beyond anything he ever expected.

Author Info
Rejean Giguere; Rejean Giguere is an avid outdoorsman, adventurer, photographer and artist. He enjoys fishing, hockey, golf, tennis, skiing and snowmobiling, his V-Max motorcycle and vintage Corvette.
He grew up in Canada and Europe, and enjoyed a business career in Toronto and Ottawa.
Visit his website at www.rejeangiguere.com.

Entering is easy. Simply leave your contact information in the comments below. This will be my last hop for the summer, so your last chance to win a free copy for a while!

I'd also love if you'd follow me on Twitter or check me out on Facebook, or follow the blog, but it's not required! I'd also love it if you added the books on your Goodreads page! I'll select and notify the winners on June 25th or 26th!

Don't forget to check out the other blogs in the Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop!

Struggling to think of the perfect birthday gift for your very favorite writer-friend (*me*)? I've got the perfect gift and it will cost you the awesome price of absolutely nothing.

All I want for my birthday is to get on the Ellen DeGeneres Show!

I’ve always enjoyed her and her show and feel like it would be an awesome opportunity if I could actually make that happen. It will take the help of many, and while nothing may come of it, it will be really fun to try. And I think Bloody Little Secrets is a book she and her audience would really enjoy.

All you have to do is follow the link below, fill out your information and in the “TELL US YOUR STORY” section, simply mention that Ellen should read my book, Bloody Little Secrets by Karly Kirkpatrick.

I’m not sure how many times you’re allowed to enter a recommendation, but feel free to try to enter as many times as you’d like between now and July 15th (my actual birthday). I’m just hoping all of our posts will get a little notice and at the least, maybe she’ll (or someone on the staff) will read Bloody Little Secrets.

Thanks so much and of course you will be the first to know if I hear anything back from the Ellen Show. I’ll be submitting requests as well!

An Ex-Con on the straight and narrow is pulled into a twisted game of Russian Roulette in Las Vegas to save his wife. 666. Six Contestants, six chambers in a revolver and six sides of a die.

Riley Toback is at a crossroads. After serving a four year prison sentence for Armed Robbery, he’s determined to make a fresh start in Atlantic City. Until his brother-in-law, drowning in gambling debt, convinces him to pull a heist at a Jersey Shore nightclub.

In the aftermath of the botched robbery, Karim Rashid, a vicious Indian gangster, tracks them down. And he makes Riley an offer.

Triple Six. One round is loaded into a revolver and the chamber is spun. The Contestant rolls a die, with the face value dictating how many times the weapon is fired. If you can survive three rounds, you win.

With his wife and life on the line, Riley takes the deal.

A 300 page novel, available for $3.99 on Amazon, iBooks and Smashwords

From author Sean Bridges: ROLL OF THE DIE is my first novel, although I've been a writer for fourteen years. I have ten completed screenplays, a pair of documentaries, an animated short and a graphic novel in the works.

I was a 2001 Finalist and 2004 Semi-Finalist for the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship. I've had a project invited to the 2005 Sundance Institute Producers Conference, and have placed in a variety of writing competitions, including the Austin Film Festival, PAGE International, FADE IN Awards, Cynosure Screenwriting and Scriptapalooza.

I'm currently working on my second novel, ON THE BAYOU. An action-thriller in the swamps of Louisiana.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Josie Sergeant has learned one thing by carving out her living from the wilds of the Canadian north: perseverance, optimism and the willingness to do what has to be done can overcome even the harshest of obstacles. Life has taught Theo Sabich, a fellow rancher from Australia, that optimism is a fool’s hope.

When their beloved siblings’ impetuous marriage plans pit Josie and Theo against one another to defend their families, they find more than they bargain for. And when they start seeing each other as more than enemies, they face their greatest challenge – finding the courage to reach out for happiness.

Under the northern lights, their attraction ignites beyond their control… The trouble is a “no strings attached” passion is easier said than done when love is hanging by a thread.

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of sensual contemporary romance. Anne grew up in rural Nova Scotia, and has a passion for nature and responsible ecology - concerns that are reflected in the appreciation for Canadian wilderness seen in her writing. She is also a freelance and academic writer, and teacher, and is proud to produce stories that express her belief that it's never too late for love, as long as one has the courage to let it in. You can find her on Facebook or visit her website at: http://www.anneholly.webs.com/

Thursday, June 16, 2011

A dark magic spreads through the kingdom of Taleria, feeding off its people. The queen is corrupted, seduced by its evil promise. Princess Astrid, held prisoner in the castle by her mother for years, discovers a book of magic, and uses its power to escape. Book Title: Legacy of the Empress
Genre: Fantasy, YA Fantasy

The only way to save Taleria is to free the Empress of legend who banished the same dark magic centuries before. Astrid doesn't know the first thing about being a hero, much less journeying to the Crystal Fortress where the old woman is imprisoned. She's never been outside her mother's grasp, and now the queen's spies are hot on her heels.

Beautiful creatures twisted into monsters, uncertain allies, and the deadly mystery of the book she possesses are the least of Astrid's concerns. As she faces the darkness before her, she discovers that saving the land she loves may ultimately mean watching it burn.

Author Info:
Rebecca Knight is a fantasy writer living in the Pacific Northwest, and a devout lover of all things geeky.
Come say "Hi" to her on my blog, and talk about books, writing, the world of publishing... you name it!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Blue Ridge Mountains of Southern Appalachia are ancient. They are older than the Rockies, older than the Alps. The Blue Ridge was old when the Himalayas were in their infancy. Beautiful, enchanting as is a Venus Flytrap to an unsuspecting fly, but there is a horror is bellied deep in the serenity in those rolling blue hills of southern Appalachia.

The Gorge, is a story of backwoods mountain culture, of a snake handling, strychnine-drinking pastor, who rises to power over his devoted flock. Of a Native American curse, confining an even older civilization of cannibal cave dwellers to within in the boundaries of a mountain gorge, hidden deep in the backcountry of the five hundred thousand acre Pisgah National Forrest.

Nathan Mires is drawn to this place, as a moth is helpless to the magnetism of a glowing porch light. His life has fallen to pieces; something has taken control of him, causing a murderous rampage, which has led him to flee into the backcountry of the Pisgah, seeking refuge from a crooked, spiteful sheriff. Soon after he arrives in the gorge, he discovers his problems have only just begun.

Author Info:
J.L. McPherson is a writer of Appalachian Thriller and Horror novels. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolina’s with his wife and four children. He is an avid outdoorsman, fly fisherman and enjoys the culture and the many fascinating stories that abound the Appalachian region.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Rachel’s hooked on Twilight and is in love with Edward Cullen. Clive is obsessed with Rachel but he’s no Edward. Lewis is in love with himself, until he meets Rachel. Both boys fail to win her, until one of them has the bright idea of becoming Edward.

Becoming Edward is a light-hearted teenage novel for people who love paranormal romance, especially Twilight. There are no vampires in it, but there is someone who wants to be a vampire.

Author Info:
The author is a huge Twilight fan and explores what it’s like to be a Twi-hard while other people just ‘don’t get it’.

The book is currently available on Kindle for around $2.99 both in the US and UK.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Being that I'm off work for the summer, I'm offering my blog up to all you authors out there, both indie and traditionally published. Show off your latest works here! The only thing I ask in return is that you either mention my blog or one of my books on your site, but of course, this is not required. Please follow the info below, taken from the Bookaday tab.

If you follow the instructions, it really makes my life SO much easier when it comes to getting the posts ready! And if you've submitted before, please do so with a new book now! Thanks so much and I look forward to posting all sorts of exciting new books! (Oh, and any genre but erotica. Sorry, but my target audience is YA readers, some of which are rather young kids!).

Please email me at karlykirkpatrick@gmail.com (please put BOOKADAY in the subject) with the following information and you could find your book featured right here on the blog:

Sunday, June 12, 2011

I'm a little behind on my reading, I should have finished Sorcerer's Stone yesterday, but with the whole last week of school going on, it slowed me down quite a bit. But now it's summer vacation and I can read as much as I want, provided I still squeeze some writing/editing time in!

I literally just turned the last page of Sorcerer's Stone and figured I'd check in and see where everyone else is.

I (of course) enjoyed revisiting book one. To be honest, I think it's been a long while since I've read it, maybe 2007 when Deathly Hallows came out. I've seen the HP1 movie SO many times, I had forgotten all the things that were changed or were different between the book and the film.

It was interesting to see the characters from this angle. Harry seemed to be quite a bit more precocious and confident once he left the Dursleys in the book, yet I saw him as a little more timid in the movie. Hermione was highly unlikable in the book until the troll incident. I really had trouble picturing her as the movie Hermione until the second half of the book.

I also found it fascinating that there were a lot of hints to things in the future, the mentions of Ginny, the cloak, the impending return of moldy Voldy, the prophecy, etc. It makes me wonder (and maybe someone does know this) if Jo Rowling had quite possibly outlined the entire series before/while writing the first book. And maybe it wasn't a hard outline, but it was really amazing to see references to things that become huge plot points 4 to 6 books down the road. Just brilliant.

There was also a cool reference at the beginning to Hagrid's motorcycle really belonging to Sirius. And the words that are engraved on the Mirror of Erised, if you read them backwards the phrase makes sense! I already knew Erised was Desire backwards, but I don't remember noticing the whole phrase was backwards!

Monday, June 6, 2011

We've got just 39 days until the end. The end of quite possibly the best book-movie franchise in the history of literature and film. 100 years from now readers and families will continue to enjoy the Harry Potter series, just like many of us did with classics like The Wizard of Oz.

The Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling have been one of the most influential parts of my journey as a writer, and so, these last few days before the end I plan to celebrate the whole collection. From beginning to end. And I'd love you to join me.

I've done the math...we need to read a Harry Potter book every 5 days to make it in time, and I'd like to cram a viewing of each movie as well.

Starting today, I'll dig into Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I hope you'll do the same. In five days we'll get back together and chat, see how far we've gotten, talk about our favorite parts of the book and film, commiserate, etc. (Above you can see the picture of my copy of Sorcerer's Stone, along with a matching Harry Potter bookmark, all ready to go!)

In 39 days we'll cover the entire collection, from beginning to end. Be sure to comment below if you want to join in the journey!

Friday, June 3, 2011

I was pretty pleased with May's numbers. I'm still hoping for an increase this summer, especially with the release of my third title coming in July/August.

I will say, Into the Shadows has decreased a lot since winter, but held steady with April's numbers, selling 64 ebooks (65 copies overall), one copy less than April when it sold 65 ebooks. ITS is sold at $2.99. A good thing about ITS is the fact that it's building up more Goodreads reviews, with over 30 ratings and a 3.84 average rating.

Bloody Little Secrets had an excellent first month (in my eyes, anyway!). I've done little in the way of actual promotion, only pimping it on Facebook, Twitter and the blog, and did not actually have a release party yet. It wasn't necessarily planned that way...it has been a hectic month and my main goal was just getting the book out. I figured I would do giveaways and whatnot a little later. I sold 61 copies at $3.49 each. BLS now has 15 ratings at Goodreads for a 4.73 average. BLS also started earning a profit after about 2-3 weeks of sales, being that I sold a couple the last day of April.

My overall totals for may were 126 copies sold between both books on all channels and $272.93 in profit. I'm looking forward to what the summer will bring! How did you do this month? Any particular methods working for sales or promotion?